Mosaic block



p 1935- G. M. HALIBURTON 2,053,001

MOSAIC BLOCK Original Filed May 18, 1953 Patented Sept. 1, 1936 MOSAICBLOCK George M. Haliburton, Roslindale, Boston, Mass.

Application May 18, 1933, Serial No. 671,676 Renewed February 3, 1936 1Claim.

This invention consists in an assembly of mosaic blocks of novel andcharacteristic shape adapted for use as an amusement or an instructivedevice.

While many mosaic assemblies of this character have been knownheretofore, I have discovered that new and unexpected results may besecured from an assembly having the exterior contour of an octagon anddivided at the center by radial lines parallel to the exterior sides ofthe figure and each terminating in a chord of the octagon. An octagondivided in this manner presents four relatively large six-sided sectionseach bounded by two adjacent sides of the octagon, and four smallersymmetrical four-sided sections which complete the area of the octagon.An assembly thus divided includes a number of subgroups of blocks whichare reversible in the assembly without change of exterior contour. Thecomponent blocks, moreover, may be assembled in an almost endless numberof combinations presenting artistic or fantastic appearances. A deviceis thus provided which is intriguing as a puzzle, educational andamusing, instructive, stimulating to the imagination and serviceable asa basis for stories to children.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and.appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodimentthereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in theaccompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of theinitial assembly of the blocks;

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of one of the larger sections;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of one of the smaller sections;

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of an assembly similar to that shown inFig. 1, with certain of the sub-groups reversed in position; and

Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of another assembly in which the blocksmay be collected.

As shown in Fig. 1, the mosaic assembly of my invention may be made ofwood, either single stock or plywood, one-quarter inch thick orthereabouts, although if desired heavy cardboard or other suitable sheetmaterial may be employed.

The primary outline of the assembly is an equilateral octagon, theangles of which, in Fig. 1, are designated by reference characters I, 2,3, etc. As shown in Fig. 1, the octagon is divided into four larger andfour smaller sections by eight radial lines extending toward theperimeter of the octagon but each intersecting a chord extending betweenalternate exterior angles of the octagon. For example, the section I-2-ll-9- [0-8 is formed by the adjacent exterior sides 8-! and [-2 of theoctagon, the radial lines 9-510 and 9-H and the portions 8-H! and 2-H ofa chord joining the exterior angles 2 and 8. These sections aresymmetrical and symmetrically arranged in the octagon. A single sectionor block is shown in Fig. 2.

Completing the area of the octagon are four smaller sections bounded bytwo radial lines and by two lines which constitute portions of chords inthe octagon. For example, the figure 9-! l- 2-l2 is bounded by tworadial lines 9-H and 9-I2, and the two lines 2 -H 2-!2, which are partsof chords of the octagon. One of these blocks or sections is shownseparately in Fig. 3.

It will be noted that the radial line 9-!3 is parallel and equal inlength to the exterior side 5-6, the radial line Q-IB is parallel andequal in length to the exterior side 4-5, and so on throughout thefigure any side of the octagon is equal in length to any one of theeight lines radiating from the center. The sub-group bounded by thelines 5-!5-9-13-4-5 constitutes a hexagon and this hexagon may bereversed in its position in the general assembly without changing theexterior contour thereof. Such a reversal of sub-group is indicated inthe arrangement shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing. In this case, the threesections designated in Fig. 1, 9-I6-6-I5, 9-l4-4-l3 and 9-!5- 6-5-4-44are reversed, so that the exterior angle 5 of the larger section fallsexactly at the center of the octagon and the adjacent external walls ofthe octagon, as shown in Fig. 4, are formed by sides of two smallersections which were radially disposed in the arrangement of Fig. 1. Forconvenience, I have designated the arrangement of Fig. 4 as a ChineseOctagon and it represents one of the countless combinaticns possiblewith the mosaic assembly of my invention.

In Fig. 5, I have illustrated another arrangement, which in outlinesuggests a rose jar or a mandarin. In this arrangement, the upper andlower larger sections I-2-H-9-l0-8 and 4-5-6-l5-9-I4 remain undisturbedin the position shown in Fig. 1, but the other two large sections arereversed so that their exterior angle is brought to the center of thefigure and the four smaller sections are arranged, in the manner shown,to form a rectilinear figure.

I have herein shown the larger sections formed in part by an interruptedchord of the octagon but in some cases it may be desired to extend thechord without interruption from one exterior angle to the next but one,thus dividing the larger section shown in Fig. 2 into two smaller.trian- 5 gular sections. This is particularly so in the case ofassemblies of larger general dimensions, whereas for smaller sizes thedivision illustrated herein is generally preferable. It will beunderstood that they sections may be colored or ornamented 10 to appealto the taste of the user.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Pat- 57 cut is:

An assembly of mosaic blocks, octagonal in outline when initiallyassembled and divided into four larger sections each bounded in part bytwo of the exterior sides of the circumscribing octagon, and aconnecting wall which includes portions converging to a vertex at thecenter of the octagon, the length of the converging portions being equalin length to the sides of the octagon, and four smaller sections boundedby pairs of walls converging respectively toward the center and. towardone of the exterior angles of the octagon.

